Homeless children may become tomorrow’s criminalsBy Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
SEVEN POINTS–The next generation of criminals may be abused and
terrorized children, seen in homeless shelters similar to the Genesis
Center in Kaufman, Kiwanis members heard.
These children are so filled with fear and anger that if something is
not done to change their situation and worldview, “our children and
grandchildren will become their victims,” Dr. Sam Carothers, Genesis
Center board member said.
The center can accommodate 36 women and children. This week it is
housing 38.
“Somewhere in the background, with very few exceptions, drugs are
involved,” Carothers told those who attended the luncheon meeting at
McClain’s Wednesday.
He began by telling stories about two women housed there and two
preachers from different nearby towns who had been hesitant about
visiting and supporting the center.
In both cases, each preacher did not expect to know anyone there, and
the first person they met was someone they knew from their churches.
“The homeless aren’t people from somewhere else, they’re not somebody
else’s problem, they’re our neighbors, and even people from our own
church,” he said.
Those allowed to stay at the Genesis Center agree to follow the rules
and participate in the full program.
Genesis offers a two-prong approach to making a difference.
The first is to instill a sense of right and wrong, through daily Bible
studies and discussions that offer an alternate way of living.
The second is to educate them. Getting a GED is the starting point for
building self-esteem, but obtaining a professional certification, so
they can earn a living and provide for themselves, is the goal, he said.
The center used to limit the amount of time a person could stay, but
now, as long as “she is progressing toward self-sufficiency, we’ll work
with her,” he said.
Observations he has made include:
• The number of women filling prisons is growing four times faster than
that of men.
• Many come from white-collar families.
• Their parents allowed them to drop out of school at an early age.
• By the time they are in their early 20s, they’ve been to jail and
mothered several children. These children are Child Protective Service
cases, many in foster care.
“Just bringing these women into a safe environment, doesn’t help. We
have to get them to the point where they can take care of themselves or
they’ll go right back to the same environment they were in before,” he
stressed.
What is the solution?
Carothers made these suggestions:
• Build your own strong family that acknowledges God as the Heavenly
Father and final moral authority.
• Promote strong, caring, patient parenting that draws boundaries and
guards those boundaries.
• Encourage parents to take leadership over their children and hold
self-discipline, responsibility and mutual respect in high regard.
• Encourage every child you know to stay in school, and do their best,
no matter what.
“The real problem is the fabric of the family is falling apart,” he
said.
Individuals can support the work of the Genesis Center in several ways,
by donating and buying items from its second-hand store, making monetary
donations to the center, and most importantly, becoming active as a
mentor.
Mentors spend several hours each week, helping young women work through
their pasts by listening, showing compassion and encouraging them toward
a better future better future.
The Genesis Center is located on State Highway 34 one mile north of
Kaufman.